New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday cited his dispensation’s push for wide-ranging reforms, including the privatisation of Air India, to assert that the country never had a more “decisive government”.
4 pillars for space reforms
- Freedom of innovation to the private sector
- Role of the government as an enabler
- Preparing youth for future
- Space sector as a resource for progress
Will become hub for satellite launches
The reforms in the space sector will make India the hub for the cost-effective launch of satellites as well as make it the supplier of critical components. — Narendra Modi, Prime Minster
Launching the Indian Space Association (ISpA), an industry body aspiring to be the voice of the country’s space sector, Modi noted that fields such as mining, coal, defence and space had been opened to private players, and said his government’s clear policy about public sector enterprises was to open those to the private industry where its presence was not required.
“The reforms in the space sector will make India the world’s hub for the cost-effective launch of satellites as well as make it the supplier of critical components for the end-to-end space system supply chain,” said the PM.
He recalled that the space sector used to be synonymous with government, but the mindset had been changed by encouraging innovations and start-ups.
In tune with the ISpA’s aspirations to represent the private industry, 10 industrialists gave their views while PM Modi remained onscreen listening intently.
The common wish expressed by all entrepreneurs was the launch of the space policy, faster approvals and easier availability of test facilities. The PM did not reply directly to their wish list, but said the government was committed to removing all obstacles and would leave no stone unturned to carry out space reforms.
The ISpA’s founding members include L&T, Nelco (Tata Group), OneWeb, Bharti Airtel, Mapmyindia, Walchandnagar and Ananth Technology Limited.